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F-star Therapeutics, an invoX company, has announced a strategic collaboration and license agreement with Takeda to develop next-generation multi-specific immunotherapies for patients with cancer. This partnership will leverage F-star's proprietary Fcab and tetravalent mAb2 platforms to develop these novel therapies.
The Partnership Details
Under the terms of the agreement, F-star and Takeda will jointly research and develop novel Fcab domains against undisclosed immuno-oncology targets. Takeda will receive a worldwide, exclusive royalty-bearing license to research, develop, and commercialize antibodies incorporating Fcab domains arising from the collaboration, and F-star will retain the right to research, develop, and commercialize antibodies incorporating certain other Fcab domains.
F-star will receive an upfront payment and research funding for the collaboration's period. Additionally, the company is eligible to receive potential future development and commercialization milestone payments of up to approximately $1 billion if all milestones across multiple programs are reached during the agreement's term. F-star will also receive royalties on potential annual net sales of any commercial product resulting from the license.
F-star's Proprietary Platforms
F-star's clinically validated Fcab and mAb2 platforms are designed to create a paradigm shift in cancer treatment. These platforms enable the development of tetravalent (2+2) bispecific antibodies, directing the immune system to attack cancer cells. The company has four second-generation immuno-oncology therapeutics in the clinic, each directed against some of the most promising IO targets in drug development, including LAG-3 and CD137.
F-star's proprietary antibody discovery platform is protected by an extensive intellectual property estate, with over 450 granted patents and pending patent applications relating to its platform technology and product pipeline.
Takeda's Expertise
Takeda is a global biopharmaceutical company that specializes in developing innovative therapies for patients with serious diseases. The company has a unique understanding of the immune system and its ability to progress drugs to the clinic.
Kathy Seidl, Ph.D., head of the Oncology Drug Discovery Unit at Takeda, said, “Since engaging with F-star in 2022 to develop novel bispecific antibodies and expanding that agreement earlier this year, we continue to make great progress across our collaboration, which speaks to the advantages of their proprietary Fcab discovery platform enabling unique tetravalent mAb2 bispecific programs. This latest collaboration further expands our research program to include novel multi-specific antibodies to support the development of innovative therapies that harness the innate immune system and engage immune cells to attack cancer cells creating benefit for the patients we serve.”
F-star's Commitment to Cancer Research
F-star is committed to working towards a future free from cancer and other serious diseases through the use of multi-specific immunotherapies. The company aims to improve patients' lives by creating access to innovative medicine.
Neil Brewis, Ph.D., Head of F-star Therapeutics and Chief Scientific Officer, said, “We are delighted to expand our relationship with Takeda, who shares our vision of developing pioneering multi-specific immunotherapies so more people with cancer can live longer with improved lives. This strategic collaboration leverages the capabilities of both companies by combining F-star's clinically validated Fcab and mAb2 platforms with Takeda's unique understanding of the immune system and its ability to progress drugs to the clinic.”
Previous Collaborations
This collaboration and license agreement is the third F-star and Takeda have established. The companies previously announced license agreements for a first and second immune-oncology bispecific antibody in July 2022 and March 2023, respectively. Takeda continues to develop licensed antibodies outside the scope of the partnership announced today.
InvoX Pharma and Sino Biopharm
InvoX Pharma, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sino Biopharm, is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company focusing on R&D and business development activities outside of China, with a core focus on oncology and respiratory therapeutics. Sino Biopharm is a leading Chinese pharmaceutical company with strong manufacturing capabilities and broad patient access across China. The company is committed to bringing innovation to address unmet healthcare needs globally.
Conclusion
F-star's partnership with Takeda represents a significant step forward in the development of multi-specific immunotherapies for patients with cancer. By combining F-star's proprietary platforms with Takeda's expertise in the immune system, the companies will work together to create innovative therapies that harness the innate immune system and engage immune cells to attack cancer cells, improving patients' lives worldwide.